Dark 'n' Stormy - Oneshot
by Scientist of Gryffindor
Summary: Malik finds another lost soul one winter's night. Set in the gap between series 4 & 5 when he is not at Garside. Written to remind people to keep positive and reach out to help others during the holidays and always after. WARNING: This fic contains mentions of character death and suicidal thoughts, please don't read if any of these are a trigger.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Dracula or anything associate with it.**

**Author's Note: **This one shot contains mentions of death/suicide, it's not intended to be a dark fic just a reminder to keep positive and reach out to help people during the holidays and always after. Please don't read if it contains any triggers. Thank you :)

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**Dark 'n' Stormy - Oneshot**

Malik had finally managed to shake off the street fangs that had been tailing him since he arrived in Bristol three days ago. It wasn't his fault he possessed natural leadership qualities drawing other vamps to him, but it was starting to irritate him now he needed some space. The mess of Garside was fresh in his memory; fleeing to Paris with Erin had been a huge mistake as she was more annoying than Vlad. Her dusting was the push he needed to move on somewhere new to try and start over. That was why he had ended up in Bristol – a city with a vibrant students night life affording many avenues to blend in.

The December night was nearing midnight and Malik recalled the upcoming day having some special meaning for breathers. Drunken party revellers providing easy pickings all night long, oblivious in their festive daze. The streets he was currently strolling down were almost empty of breathers. He guessed it was too far out of the city centre and the clubs to be of much interest. But for him it provided the perfect place to find some peace and quiet.

As he came to the top of the hill then rounded the corner onto the suspension bridge itself, he stopped in his tracks. It seems he wouldn't be alone tonight after all. A women was stood on top of the stone wall around the viewing platform at the closest end of the bridge. If Malik had to guess it would be a hundred metre drop; no-one but maybe a vamp could survive that.

Torn between continuing forward or retreating like he hadn't seen a thing Malik stood rooted to the spot. Normally the lives of breathers did not concern him. A year ago, he would've used the opportunity to snag a quick bite, but a lot had happened since then and that sounded cruel even to him. Elizabetta had succeeded in ripping his life apart, he no longer had a home and his own father never wanted to see him again. He figured he could empathise with this woman more than Malik cared to admit.

Making his mind up Malik walked closer to the viewing platform, deciding he may as well try to do one thing right this year. He shuddered at the thoughts, the breather's celebrations must be causing this sentimentality. He approached quickly yet silently not trying to spook her.

"Mind if I join you?" Malik called out from a couple metres away. The woman jerked around in shock and Malik realised she looked so young – mid twenties at most. She wasn't even wearing a coat as the freezing December wind tangled her dark hair. Her eyes held a faraway look as she struggled to focus on him.

"It's okay, I'm not here to hurt you", Malik internally winced at how lame that sounded. It was exactly the type of thing someone dangerous would say. He sighed, no wonder he couldn't connect to people if empathy and sympathy wasn't high on his mother's agenda.

The young woman was still staring at him with frightened eyes so he tried again.

"Can I sit down?" he motioned to the wall beside her. She nodded twice allowing him to clamber up and swing his legs over the edge. From where they were positioned it provided a view across the whole city from the lit up centre to the softly glowing river underneath the flyover.

"Great views from here", he said casually, hoping he could engage his viewing companion.

To his relief she responded, "It's beautiful. It's all so small and quiet and far away". Her voice was quiet against the background of the wind but Malik's vampire hearing picked it up.

"Everything seems less complicated when you're not caught up in it", he replied.

She nodded again, "Like it's not real and you stop existing for a while".

Malik saw out of the corner of his eye she had sunk down next to him, no longer fighting the wind standing up. The comment hit him hard, his whole life his mother taunted him about his father to the point it felt like she was making it all up to spite him. For three hundred years that part of him was missing until the Count surprisingly took him in, all that was gone now.

"I'm Malik", he introduced himself.

"Why are you here?", she questioned as she turned to face him. Her eyes looked a little clearer now.

"Isn't that what I should be asking you?"

She didn't answer and Malik sighed deciding he had nothing left to lose.

"Because my mother used me in a plot to bring down my family then betrayed me. Now my father and half-siblings want to dust me", he was too tired for more lies, "We're vampires by the way".

She looked at him confused, "Are you on drugs?"

Malik scoffed, "I'm all vampire, trust me".

Her eyes widened a fraction in response but drifted back to the river. Malik was mildly surprised the woman appeared to believe him.

"I would hate to live forever", she murmured.

"What about for now -?", he asked curiously – pausing to hint what her name was.

"My name is Joy, ironically", she gave a wry smile that Malik took as a good sign if her sense of humour was coming through.

"I don't want to jump, I just don't want to live or feel like this anymore. It's lonely and I'm scared", Joy's voice cracked as her eyes filled with tears, though she didn't seem bothered letting them run down her cheeks. Loneliness was a feeling Malik could relate to: a neglectful mother, roughing it on the streets and cast off by the Draculas.

"There's no reason to be scared now, you're talking to a real life vampire and doing just fine", he said to add a little humour.

"You're on your own too?", Joy asked finally wiping her face with her jumper.

"Yep, I'm a lone wolf, well vampire. It kind of comes with the territory"

"Then you know how it feels to have no-one to trust or turn to. When my mental health declined people couldn't cope so cut me out", Joy explained, words laced with pain. An unfamiliar feeling ran through Malik, he wasn't known for his empathy.

"Yeah I know how it feels but I think I could help", he said raising his eyebrows and jumping down from the wall. He held his hand out for Joy to take. She took it, her own hands ice cold, then climbed down to join him. Joy quickly let go to tug her sleeves over her fists.

"How?", she asked plainly, raising her head to look him dead in the eyes.

"Come with me, live like a vamp and be free"

"Why? I don't know you", she pushed for answers.

"If I wanted to bite you I would have already. We both deserve something good to end the year, for once", he reasoned, "It is Christmas after all"

She frowned in thought and seemed to consider his suggestion for a minute, "Okay Malik, I will come with you. _But_ only because you stopped me from, you know", she shifted uncomfortably, "Plus, you seem as mad as me"

He gave her a reassuring smile which she returned for the first time that night, "So Joy, where do you wanna go?"


End file.
